Friday, May 12, 2017

that time matt was tased

The last time I wrote about our attendance at the Citizen's Police Academy, Matt hadn't been tased yet.
(The English major in me has gone back and forth on the past tense of taser several times. Is it tased, or tasered? The officer teaching our class says 'tased,' but he also says 'burgled' so I take his verb conjugation with a grain of salt. On the upside, the attorney at work this week asked which form of "compli/ement" to use when referencing a group of attorneys, and my English degree and I were thrilled to have the correct answer for him.)

Anyway.

We arrived at class the night of the taser presentation, and the officer slid a three page waiver across the table to Matt and said, "Can you just sign this?"

The paralegal in me said LET'S READ EVERY SINGLE WORD, and also, IS ALL OF OUR INSURANCE UP TO DATE?

Matt did indeed sign the waiver, and then we waited one entire hour while a detective came in and taught us all about tasers and why they're so effective.

In short, because they're debilitating.

STEP RIGHT UP, MATT.

After we had a quick break for soft pretzels, Matt was called to the front of the room. At that moment, several (handsome) young men walked through the side door.

"Are you the paramedics?" asked a woman in our class.

"No ma'am," they said, "We are the SWAT Team. We're just here to watch."
And then, Matt was tased/tasered. I stood at the back of the room and couldn't even watch, but here he is afterwards with a few of his adoring fans.

The taser makes your muscles contract 19 times per second, for five seconds, and when the electric charge ended, Matt said very matter of factly, "Well, that hurt."

He said it was the worst pain he's felt in his whole life, and will never do anything to get tasered.

Which means he is going to have to give up his life of crime.

All jokes aside, the officers talked at length about how tasers have changed policing significantly, in a positive way, and how they're so grateful for that option.

We finished our Citizen's Police Academy classed a few weeks ago, and with all the controversy surrounding police departments these days, I have to say that I'm thankful for ours.

I know that nobody is perfect, but our police department is one whose officers reflect the citizens they serve and values the community they serve in.

And don't worry, I'm not considering a career change. I could hardly stand straight under the weight of that vest!

27 comments:

I come from a family of police officers on my dad's side--two uncles, three cousins, various other distantly related people. My cousin is a street cop in Milwaukee, and he's on the kind of task force that shows up for hostage situations and breaks down doors. He's also a father of four young children. I cannot even imagine the courage it takes for him to do that job, and for his wife to send him off to work every day.

Police departments certainly have their fair share of problems, but I doubt a single person who complains about them would want to go without them for even one day.

Omg!! lol My husband is a police officer and when he went through the academy they had to be tased a few times, pepper sprayed, punched in the face...He came home with bruises and burns everyday! I totally couldn't do that!

You in that vest!!! Eating you alive!NOPEEEE - that's scary they 'test' it out on people. There was a person who died in Indiapolis this weekend from being tased. Glad you didnt see that story before Matt stepped up to the plate.

They are a great tool but here lately we have had officers use them on people on drugs, like acid, and they do not do a thing!! Can you imagine?? It's crazy!! Go Matt! You mean you didn't get a video of it?

Okay, five minutes is a long time! I bet that did hurt a lot. I often wonder why there are all these stories about shootings, when the police could just tase someone, you know? Obviously I don't know anything so I'm not one to talk. Anyway, interesting experience for him! Good to know it hurts a lot. I suppose I shall give up my life of crime also. Bummer.

That must have been pretty horrible for him, but he knows how someone would feel if they got tazered. Is that a requirement for him to be tazered? Thanks for stopping by my blog.http://therantingsofadramaqueensmum.blogspot.com